EVERY MORNING, THE KING WOULD MARRY A NEW VIRGIN BRIDE. FOR THAT DAY, HE WOULD DEVOTE EVERY WAKING MOMENT TO THE WOMAN, SHOWERING HER AND HER FAMILY WITH TREASURE FROM THE KING'S VAST STOREHOUSE OF WEALTH. EVERY NIGHT THE KING WOULD CONSUMMATE THE MARRIAGE. FOR THE WOMEN, THIS WOULD MARK THE BEGINNING OF A LIFE OF LUXURY.
BUT EVERY NIGHT THE YOUNG QUEEN WOULD STAY AWAKE MARKING EACH HOUR, KNOWING THAT AT SUNRISE SHE WOULD BE BEHEADED.
WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF HIS EX-WIFE'S DEATH, THE KING WOULD MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN AND BEGIN THE CRUEL RITUAL ANEW.
INFIDELITY HAD STARTED THE CYCLE OF DEATH.
SHAHRYAR'S FIRST BRIDE HAD CHEATED ON HIM. HE NEVER FORGAVE HER OR FORGOT THE BLOW TO HIS PRIDE. FOR 1,000 DAYS, HE WED AND BEHEADED 1,000 VIRGINS, REMINDING THE NATION OF HIS HUMILIATION AND HIS DETERMINATION NEVER TO BE SCORNED AGAIN.
ONE MORNING, SCHEHERAZADE BOWED AT THE KING'S FEET AND REQUESTED THAT SHE BE ALLOWED TO SPEND ONE EVENING WITH HIM. EYES WIDE IN SURPRISE, THE STUNNED KING GRANTED HER WISH, MESMERIZED BY HER BOLDNESS. DIDN'T SHE KNOW THAT SLEEPING WITH THE KING WAS A DEATH SENTENCE?
AS DUSK APPROACHED, SCHEHERAZADE FOLLOWED THE KING INTO HIS BEDCHAMBER, RECLINED NEXT TO HIM, AND BEGAN TELLING A STORY. THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, SHE WOVE A TALE OF ADVENTURE AND INTRIGUE. THE KING LISTENED, CAPTIVATED BY THE HEROES AND ENTRANCED BY THE VILLAINS.
AN HOUR BEFORE SUNRISE, SCHEHERAZADE PAUSED AT A CRUCIAL MOMENT IN THE STORY. SHE BOWED HER FOREHEAD TO THE FLOOR AND ASKED THE FOR FORGIVENESS. DAWN WAS APPROACHING, AND SHE WAS TOO TIRED TO CONTINUE. SHE PROMISED TO COMPLETE THE STORY HE FOLLOWING NIGHT IF HE WOULD BE MERCIFUL AND GRANT HER TIME TO REST.
STILL CAUGHT IN THE SPELL OF HER STORY, KING SHAHRYAR GRANTED HER WISH. THE NEXT EVENING, SCHEHERAZADE FINISHED HER STORY. AS THE KING MARVELED AT THE TALE, SCHEHERAZADE BEGAN ANOTHER- ENDING THE STORY LIKE THE NIGHT BEFORE. AGAIN SHE BEGGED FOR TIME TO REST- AND REPEATED THE PROCESS THE FOLLOWING NIGHT.
SCHEHERAZADE CONTINUE HER STORIES FOR 1,000 NIGHTS. ON THE 1.0001st NIGHT, SHE FINISHED HER LAST STORY. NO MATTER, THE KING HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH HER, KNOWING THAT SUCH A CAPTIVATING AND WISE WOMEN WOULD NEVER BREAK HIS HEART. HE SPARED HER LIFE, HALTING THE RITUAL OF DEATH AND MAKING SCHEHERAZADE HIS QUEEN.
LEGEND SAYS THAT "THE SEVEN VOYAGES OF SINBAD THE SAILOR" AND "ALADDIN'S WONDERFUL LAMP" WERE PENNED BY SCHEHERAZADE AND TOLD TO THE KING DURING THOSE 1,000 NIGHTS.
STORIES SERVE AS SKELETON KEYS THAT UNLOCK OUR MINDS. WE ALL CAN TELL STORIES. WE DO EVERY DAY. UNLIKE SCHEHERAZADE, OUR LIVES MAY NOT DEPEND ON OUR STORIES, BUT THEY WILL PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN OUR LIVES.
What is your story?
- Where were you born?
- Where do you live now?
- What makes you smile?
- What is the most important life lesson you’ve learned so far?
- What is your deepest fear?
- What is your greatest dream for your life?
- Who are you?
A WEDDING PROPOSAL FROM A KING
No comments:
Post a Comment